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So quick question. I am debating whether I need to write an academic addendum. Here is my basic story:

Went to a small LA school my freshman year of college, got good grades, and transferred to a top 20 university. I attended there my soph. year and then decided to take a semester off during the fall of my junior to work on a political campaign. I went back to the school I was last at, finished my junior and senior years, graduating on-time, with 7 total semesters of college work.

I have been told that transferring, taking time off, etc. usually requires an addendum on law school applications. However, I have now been out of school for a year, and I am applying to schools this fall (so I will have been out for two years by the time I start school in the fall of 2012). Is it still necessary work writing an addendum explaining my odd undergraduate academic path? Any thoughts are appreciated.

You should look at each application and see what they say. If the application does not say that you need to explain a transfer, it probably is not necessary to write an addendum. I think schools will understand you transferred to have an opportunity to attend a better school. I would write a brief addendum to explain why you took off a semester. Don't make them wonder why you took off. It won't hurt you.

Grammar fail, OP. The plural is 'addenda'. It's probably not a great idea to write one if it will include typos.

anewaphorist wrote:Grammar fail, OP. The plural is 'addenda'. It's probably not a great idea to write one if it will include typos.

Merriam-Webster has "addendums" listed as an acceptable alternative, and if you're not going to give any constructive advice, then go be an ass in the lounge instead.

OP- I've never heard about a school asking for a transfer addendum, but definitely check schools' admissions FAQ to see. Some will ask about an interruption of studies, and if they do, a short 2-3 sentence addendum explaining you took off time to work on the campaign will be fine. If schools don't explicitly require either, I wouldn't write one.